Vacuum-broom



May 28, 1935. w. LEATHERS VACUUM BROOM Original Filed Sept. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. LEATHERS May 28, 1935.

VACUUM BROOM Original Filed Sept. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 1 m n s v m e w V In u N t 1 2 I 8 o "h e w a L A l r .1 c I 9 v. M u m 6 i g Y B Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES VACUUM-{BROOM Ward Leathers, Haworth, N. 1., assignor to The Quadrex Corporatioma corporation of Con necticut Application September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,407

. Renewed April 24, 1934 3 Claims.

um-broom illustrated and described in my co tains a brush 2 held in stanchored to the housing I as by a rivet- 5. A-

. pending application #474,584, and the principles involved in air filtration and dirt disposal are more fully set forth in my co-pending application #472,703.

The primary object of this invention is to reduce the cost of manufacture as well as to simplify the handling of a great and useful new utility namely, an inexpensive vacuum-broom. The average use of brooms in the household is three times a day. The average use of vacuum-cleaners is once a week.

The objects of this invention are arrived at. aside from the brush mechanism and the handlefilter described in the aforementioned co-pending applications, by the unique arrangement of motor suction device, dirt-receptacle, and self cleaning mechanism. A further highly important consideration is a construction and disposition of such necessary parts, made in such manner that the broom may be made entirely of sheet stampings,.where heretofore castingshave been used.

In order to set forth my invention so that all those familiar with these arts may understand, I have provided the following specifications, to which drawings are attached, of which- Figure 1 is a vertical, partial cross-section, of my vacuum broom, a portion of the handle being broken away.

Figure 2 is a detail of the ported plate.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the fan housing.

Figure 4 is a side view of same.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the airdeflector. I

Figure 6 is a vertical, partial cross-section of the handle top.

Figs. '7 and 8 are cross-sectional views on the lines and 8'8 respectively of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In Figure 1, is a brush-nozzle housing, preferably of stamped sheet metal. The end only is shown, but the width may be asdesired. It con- 3 by a snap-spring 4 ooth'annular housing 6, preferably of sheet ,rnetal, isattached to in suitable manner, as by hown at Inside of 6 there is an 8,, also preferably of stamped sheet chy f urnishes the inlet-duct 9 to the fan ID as well as the fan housing (the shape of this part is more fully described under Figures 3 and 4). In assembly the nozzle housing I, with the springrlatch 4 are clamped to the parts 5 and 8, and 6 and 8 may be riveted together as desired as at I] in order to make a unit assembly of these parts.

The motor-housing l2 encases the motor which drives the fan Hi. This housing does not require the usual ventilation openings, since it is cooled in the blast of the blower itself. This housing 10 is preferably of stamped sheet metal, and is suitably and rigidly attached to a plate i3 as by screws l2, preferably of stamped sheet metal. The plate I3 is provided with a plurality of ports consisting of notches l3 (see Fig. 2) in its periphery. 15 These ports are preferably three in number and arranged in the upper semi circular portion. They are better illustrated in Figure 2. The blast from these three ports is upward around the motor-housing and within a smooth, annular 20 casing ll, preferably of sheet metal. Attached. to the housing l2 there is an air deflector I5, of irregular shape and preferably of sheet metal. Flanges IS on both sides, tangent to the housing l2, are rigidly attached to it by spot welding or 25 rivets l5. Another flange H, at right angles thereto, extends radially from the motor a sufflcient distance to fit tightly against the inside of the outer-casing M. The continuation of this flange, shown at. l8, also approximately tightly 30 fits the outer-housing. The purpose of this air deflector is to deflect the blast from the three ports aforementioned in such manner that the heavier particles picked up by this broom will be thrown, by centrifugal force, into the dirt-recep- 5 tacle I9, which is approximately the lower half of the space between the motor-housing l2 and the outer case M. Attached to the flange H, as by rivets, on one side, or both if desired, is a spring 20. A vane, the e at 2|, hinged at its upper extremity, is rotatively resisted by Le spring 20. This vane is mechanidaily and operably joined to a similar vane. on

' the opposite side of the motor-housing by suit- 4;

able means conveniently consisting of a heavy wire 22. 2| and 22 are shown completely assembled and are described under Figure 5. The outslde'edge of the' vane 2| lies .approxinuattel; snugly against the outside casing II. The edge requires slight modifyingin order that it may swing in its arc along the curvature of the casing ll (see Figure 5). The inner edge lies approximately snugly against the motor-casing l2 and requii'vs no such modification. A thumb-latch edge of which is shown 40.

' electric switch 26, attached to the motor-housing,

' normal position. The spring 22 overacting by the vanes 2| coming in contact, with the disc l3 and the loop 22 in contact at the switch-lever 21 of which projects through the outer casing through a suitable opening. A rubber cushion 28, attached to 26, makes a satisfactory air-tight joint. 29 is an electric two way connection, led upward through the hollow handle 30.

The hollow handle 30 is of the filter handle t p as described in my aforementioned copending applications. It consists primarily of a hollow and perforated hard fibre tube, in this case rigidly attached to the housing I 4 as by rivets at 3|. At 32 suitable means is provided for holding the outside filtering material.

In assembly, parts 6 and 8 arerigidly. joined, making the first assembly unit. The housing M and the handle tube 3|! are rigidly joined, and together with the latch 23, 2t and 25 make a second assembly unit. The third assembly unit consists of the motor in its casing l2, the blower ill, the port disc I3, the deflector IS with its spring 20, the switch 26 with its soft, rubber face 28, and the pair of vanes 2| with their connector 22. (This vane mechanism 2| and 22 is more fully described under Figure 5.)

Unit amembly three is set into unit assembly one. Unit assembly two is then set over unit assembly three and joined to unit assembly one'in suitable manner as by screws shown at 33. Before putting these assembliestogether, it is necessary to draw the wife 29 (attached to assembly two) upward through the hollow handle. When these assemblies come together the switch-lever 21 comes through the opening provided for same and the hook 25 comes to such position that it engages the loop 22. It is then evident that when the thumb-latch 23 is pressed downward it raises the vanes 2| over the exhaust ports adjacent thereto, deflecting the blast from side adjacent ports through the dirt-collecting chamber l9, making it possible to blow all the dirt from side collector outward through the hollow handle when the top of said handle is opened and the motor is running. The spring 20, by means of the loop 22, returns the thumb-latch 23 to its is stopped from its center position with the motor-housing I 2.

Figure 2 shows the port-disc 3 in plan. At-

tached to it is the motor-housing l2, cross-sectioned at a point near said disc. It will be noted that where the housing l2 isfianged outward for attachment to 3, said flanges may be partially cut away at the port locations.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the principles involved in properly shaping the part 8. Figure 3 is a plan view over which Figure 2 is super-imposed. The

' dotted circle 34 indicates the periphery of the blower unit Ill. The outside or centrifugally confining wall of the part 8'is developed spirally for each of the three ports, while a top flange at extends the material at .the top edge for support purposes'only.

- Figure 4 shows how the metal is so formed as to aid in turning the blast of centrifugal air from the fan through its degree angle.

and spaced at the sides and top'from In Figure 5 I have shown the deflector vanes 2. joined by the loop 22. 22 is joined to 2| in any desired manner, but where the vanes and the wire loop are made of ferrous metal, they may be satisfactorily joined by spot welding. The vanes are provided with stub shafts 36 at their inner sides and trimmed at 2! to the necessary free radius along the cylindrical wall of the housing l4 (see Fig. .1). These shafts may also be spot-welded if desired into the'vanes and then snapped into recesses or depressions suitably located on the sides of the motor-housing l2. The spring tension of the wire loop 22 holds them in place and when the casing M surrounds them they cannot get out of position because the clearance is insufficient.

Figure 6 shows the upper end of the handle wherein 30 is the hollow fibre tube provided with a metal ferrule 3? which is suitably fastened to the tube 30, provided with any means of fastening 38 over which the cap 39 may be fastened by a partial turn. At 40, the filter cover is attached to the handle 30 in any suitable manner. A suitable inlet for the feed wires 29 is provided at d i.

In operation, the brush 2 collects the dirt on its forward side as it is moved to and fro. The dirt is carried upward through the duct 9 by suction created by the fan ill through the ports l3, carried around the deflector i5 and exhausted through the handle. The dirt is collected in i9, partially by centrifugal force, and partially by gravity when the motor is not running and the broom is handled. To clean the broom the cap 39 is removed, the end of the broom handle is pointed out an open window, or into a sack of light fabric such as cheesecloth, the motor is' turned on, the thumb-latch 23 is depressed, and both the filtering handle and the dirt-receptacle H are almost instantly cleaned.

I have set forth my invention so clearly that all those familiar with these arts can understand, but I wish it understood that the principles involved can be applied in many ways and by a multitude of detail constructions without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:---

1. In a suction cleaner, thecombination of a main housing having a top, sides and a bottom, a tubular handle extending from the top of said housing in communication with its interior, a

handle having a closure-controlled dirt-discharge opening, a motor, a housing for said motor within the main housing and having its bottom at the bottom-of the main housing, a fan-chamber below the main housing adjacent the bottom thereof, a fan in said chamber driven from the aforesaid motor, a suction cleaner nozzle operatively connected with the fan-chamber, partition means in the space between the main and motor housings extending lengthwise of said housings between, the sides thereof and dividing said space into compartments which may be termed upper and lower in view of the inclined position of said compart ments when the cleaner is in use, said compartments communicating with each other at the top, and the upper compartment being in communication with the fan-chamber through an opening in the bottom of the main housing.

2. Ina suction cleaner, the combination defined in claim 1, further characterized by there being a bailie supported above the motor housing at the entrance to the tubular-handle-iilter arranged to deflect the dirt-laden air from the aforesaid relameans for at will connecting the fan chamber tiveiy uppermost compartment into the opposite directly to therelatively lower compartment relatively lower compartment thereby deflecting whereby the dirt can be blown from said compartsame from passing directly up into the tubularment upwardly into the handle and out through 5 handle-filter.

3. In a suction cleaner, the combination defined v a in claim 1 further characterized by there being WARD LEATHERS.

the discharge opening thereof. 5 

